Human
by Whytho123
Summary: Going to a new school is always difficult, but being in a new town, with a new family only makes it harder. When Sophie moved to a new foster home, her life changes drastically. But maybe not in a bad way. Sokeefe story, human AU.
1. Moving In

CHAPTER 1

I stared out of the window at the falling rain. I had just gotten out of the airport when Mr. Alden, a friend of my two foster parents, picked me up. My last foster family had a crisis and couldn't keep me anymore. I missed them, especially their daughter, Amy. The new town I had just moved to was very nice though. Many of the houses were mansions bigger than any I'd ever seen.

I was on my way to meet my new parents. I had heard that they were nice, but that they were shy because they had lost their daughter in a fire.

 _What will they think of me? Will they like me?_ I tugged out an itchy eyelash, a nervous habit of mine. I'd be lucky to have any eyelashes left by the time we got there.

Mr. Alden pulled the car up the driveway snapping me out of my thoughts.

"You're going to like Grady and Edaline," he said as he turned the engine off.

We walked up the front walk towards a giant three story house. Mr. Alden knocked on the front door. The sound of dogs barking came from the other side of the door.

"Coming," a woman's voice called. The door swung open to reveal a beutiful blonde lady standing there.

"I'm Edaline." The woman said, looking at me with her aquamarine eyes. " You must be Sophie. Please come in."

She led us through the house to a sitting room with food in it. A big shaggy dog came into the room.

"This is Verdi" said Edaline.

The dog stared at me, then grabbed a snack off the table and ran for the door. Edaline sighed.

"We've been training her, but she is going to take some time. Thank you for bringing Sophie Alden." Edaline said.

"Of course! I have topick up Biana and Fitz now. I will see you soon," Alden replied. "Goodbye Sophie. Call me if you need anything."

I nodded, and Alden left. I looked at Edaline.

"Grady will be home soon. He has been so exited to meet you. Would you like me to show you to your room?" Edaline asked.

I nodded again.

"We run a pet care facility here," Edaline explained as we passed the door to the backyard, which was filled with pens and habitats. "If you want, you could help us on weekends."

"Really?" I asked. Those were the first words I had said to her. _Great manners, Sophie_.

Edaline smiled kindly.

"Really." She stopped and turned around to face me. "I know it must be weird moving from house to house. And I know it's going to be a little bit awkward at first. But Grady and I are here for you, so if you ever need anything just ask, OK?"

"OK," I smiled.

"Good. Now let's go see your room." She led me up the stairs, down a long hallway, and to a door.

"Here we are," Edaline sang.

I opened the door, stepped into the room, and gasped.

The room was bigger than any room I'd ever had. The high ceiling, large windows, and light colors made it bright and springtime-y.

I spun around and hugged Edaline.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyou" I said.

Edaline laughed.

"Come on let's go get your stuff from downstairs." She said.

I didn't have much, just clothes actually, so it didn't take long to unpack.

"Oh! I have a surprise for you!" Edaline exclaimed.

She led me downstairs to a room with a small kitten in it.

"I thought you might want to train him." She said.

"Awww! Yes! Of course I do! Thank you so much!" I said.

She smiled and helped me set up a bed for it in my new bedroom.

"Well, what do you want to name him?" She asked.

Hmmmm. That was a tough one. It was between Marty and Iggy.

"Iggy" I said after a moment.

"It sounds Purr-fect," she replied.

I giggled. We heard the front door oped and close.

"I'm back!" Shouted a man downstairs. " Is Sophie here yet?"

Edaline led me downstairs, and we walked to the living room.

"Ah, you must be Sophie!" The blonde man smiled at me. "I'm Grady"

He grinned at the kitten I was holding.

"What did you decide to name him?" He asked.

"Iggy." I replied.

"Paw-some name!" He said.

I groaned and laughed.

"Not more cat puns. They are paw-sitively awful!" I said.

"I knew I liked you." Grady said with a grin. "When's dinner?" He asked Edaline.

"Whenever you're ready." She replied.

We sat down at the table and ate a delicious meal. I discovered that Grady and Edaline were vegetarians, that they loved animals, and that they had both lived in this town their whole lives.

The dinner was amazing, but the desert was indescribable. Edaline had a recipe for something called mallowmelt, which was the best thing I'd ever had. Grady chuckled as I got a fourth piece.

"Are you ready to go to school?" Grady asked.

I cringed. I would be starting in the middle of the school year. This wasn't a problem academically because of my photographic memory. It WAS a problem socially. Who started in the middle of the year anyways?

"Not really," I mumbled.

"Aww, it'll be OK! I already got a school uniform for you." Said Edaline.

Wait. Uniform? As in dressing like everyone else. I'm dead. My dread must have shown on my face, because Grady laughed.

"It's not THAT bad." He said.

Not that bad? Understatement. When I saw it I wanted to run away. It was 'amber' which is just fancy for brown. There was a vest. A VEST. It also had a blouse, skirt, tights, and ballet flats. I stared at it in horror. It was so different from the normal grey stuff that I usually wore so that I didn't stand out.

Edaline and Grady just laughed at my reaction and helped me get my stuff together for the next day. Then they tucked me in.

"Goodnight Sophie. Sweet dreams" Edaline said.

"See you in the morning. Don't led Verdi get you." Grady said.

"Grady!" Edaline glared and lightly slapped his arm.

"Verdi won't hurt you Sophie. I was kidding." Grady mumbled something about nobody getting his jokes and tromped downstairs.

"We're right downstairs if you need us." Edaline whispered as she closed the door.

I sighed and stretched out as Iggy laid down on my pillow. I fell asleep dreaming of ugly uniforms and giant dogs.


	2. First Day

**So sorry about the lack of Keefe. He will be in the next chapter. :3**

CHAPTER 2

"Good morning, sleepyhead!" Grady said as I slouched into the kitchen the next morning.

"Mmmmm" I mumbled in reply.

"Not a morning person, huh?" Grady asked.

I nodded. I was eating breakfast when Edaline walked into the kitchen.

"Good morning, Sophie!" She said. "We won't be able to drive you to school in the mornings, so you'll have to ride the bus. The bus stop is half a block away, so you don't have to hurry. But you should get going as soon as you can."

I nodded, finished my breakfast, and dashed to feed Iggy and get dressed. I packed up my bag and ran a brush through my hair before dashing back downstairs.

"Have a great day, Sophie!" Edaline called from the kitchen. "I'll see you when you get home."

"Bye Edaline! Bye Grady!" I yelled as I ran out of the house. I closed the door and walked down the street to the bus stop. The morning air was chilly and I shivered as I waited. About a minute later a boy with strawberry blonde hair walked up.

" Hello! I haven't seen you around here before. Are you new?" He asked.

"Um, yeah. I'm Sophie." I replied.

"Oh, you're the one Aunt Edaline and Uncle Grady adopted!" He said. "I'm Dex, their nephew."

"Cool! So, you're my cousin now?" I asked.

"Well there's me, then there's the triplets." He responded.

"Wait. TRIPLETS?" I asked.

"Yep," he grinned "you have a large family now."

"That's so cool!" I said. I looked at him. He obviously went to the same school I did, because he was wearing the same dorky uniform. Minus the skirt and flats of course.

"What level are you in?" He asked. "Wait. Sorry. Amber obviously." He said looking at my uniform.

"You too?" I asked.

"Yep."

The bus pulled up and we got on. I was waking down the aisle towards the back, when a girl with curly brown hair stuck her foot out and tripped me. Being the naturally clumsy girl that I am, I tripped and fell. With everyone watching. GREAT GOING SOPHIE. FIRST DAY, ALREADY TRIPPING IN FRONT OF EVERYONE. I got up, dusted myself off, and gave the girl the best death glare I had, which was pretty powerful.

"Don't mind her." Said a girl with wild blonde hair. "Here, sit by me."

Dex and I slid into the seat next to her.

"I'm Marella." The girl said. "You must be new."

"Yep. I'm Sophie." I said. "Who was that?"

"That was Stina. She likes to mess with everyone." Said Dex.

Marella grinned at me.

"Dex and I have a competition to see who can prank Stina the most. Do you want in?" She asked.

"Yes! Vengeance will be mine!" I laughed.

Dex and Marella burst into giggles. The bus stopped again and two more people got on. They were a boy and a girl, both with dark hair and familiar looking teal eyes. Then I realized...

"Those are Mr. Alden's kids." I said quietly.

"Yep. Wonderboy and Princess Prettypants. The legendary too-good-for-you Vacker family." Dex replied.

Marella laughed and I smiled. I didn't see what could be so bad about the Vackers though. I mean nobody is THAT bad. Except Stina. She is just evil.

The Vackers sat down near the front of the bus, and we kept driving. We made it to school, and I followed Dex and Marella to the cafeteria.

"Why are we here?" I asked Dex.

"Monday morning assembly" he replied.

A tall lady walked out onto the stage in the front of the room.

"Who's that" I whispered.

"Principal Alina." Replied Marella.

"Good morning students. As you all know midtems are coming up, so I expect you to be studying and working hard. Also, we have a new student this morning. Welcome, Sophie Foster."

Dozens of eyes found me, and I stared at the floor.

"Well, that wraps up our morning announcements. Have a marvelous Monday!" Dex cringed.

I followed Dex to the amber level lockers. I took my locker number out of my bag and found said locker, which was near Dex, Marcella, and a small hyper boy named Jensi.

"Whatclassdoyouhavefirst?" Jensi asked.

"Ummm..." I looked at my schedule. "Advanced chemistry." Yikes. I was terrible at chemistry. At my last school, I managed to knock over every shelf of lab equipment in a chain reaction. Which just happened to be what we were studying. I got detention for pointing that out.

"HereI'llshowyoutheway" Jensi said.

I followed him through the twisting hallways to the chemistry lab.

"Bye Jensi!" I yelled. He disappeared through the crowded hallway.

I walked into the classroom and dropped into the only empty seat. I took out my notebook.

"Good morning class." Said a severe looking woman. "For those of you who are new, I'm Ms. Galvin. Today we will be studying color changing reactions."

Color changing. That wasn"t so bad. I didn't think I could blow that up.

Boy, was I wrong.

"Aaaaaaah!" Ms. Galvin screamed.

I had somehow managed to catch her pants on fire.

Once she got it put out, she checked for burns. She got lucky, and was (somehow) perfectly fine. My hands were not so lucky.

Ms. Galvin sighed.

"It's not your fault Sophie." She said.

I sighed in relief. I somehow managed to get out of that.

"You should got to the nurse for your hands." She said, glancing down.

Don't cry Sophie. Don't cry.

I nodded and walked out of the classroom. As I went I saw Stina snicker and Biana stare at me with pity.

I wandered around the halls for a while before realizing that I was lost.

"Hello there! You look lost." Said a voice from behind me.

I spun around to find myself facing a pair of teal eyes.

...

 **aaaah I'm sorry it was following the original story too much**

 **Keefe will be in the next chapters**


	3. Keefe

CHAPTER 3

"H-hi!" I said. _Smooooth, Sophie._

"I'm Fitz! I believe you know my dad." He said.

"Yes." I said.

"Anyways, are you lost?" He asked.

"Um, yes I was looking for the, um, nurse." I mumbled.

"Oh. Follow me." He said, smiling.

I followed him in silence through the winding halls. Finally, we reached the nurse's office.

"Elwin is nice! You'll love him." Fitz said. "I have to go. See you around."

He walked away down the hall. I turned towards the doorway. There were voices coming from the inside of the room.

"I'm telling you, my stomach hurts." Said a boy's voice.

"Mmmhmmm. Just like last week. And the week before that. And-" an older man's voice was cut off.

"For real this time!" Said the boy.

"So you admit it was fake before?" Said the man.

"Well, I never said that-"

I decided to stop standing in the doorway. I walked quietly into the room.

"Ah. How can I help you miss?" An older man asked. He turned away from a boy with blonde hair and ice blue eyes.

"Um, I, uh, hurt my hands." I mumbled.

"I'm Elwin. Here, sit down and I'll look at them."

I sat down and Elwin turned to the sink and washed his hands.

The boy looked over at me.

 _He was really cute._ _Wait, what?_

"I'm Keefe. What's your name?" He asked.

"Sophie Foster."

Elwin turned around.

"Ok , let's look at those hands." He said.

I held them up. They were covered with burns. And they hurt. A lot.

"Oh my... how did you manage this?" He asked, raising his eyebrows at me.

"Uhm, well, we were studying color changing reactions in chemistry and...well..."

I was suddenly very aware of the fact that Keefe was staring at me.

"I-I might have caught Ms. Galvin's pants on fire...?" I said.

Keefe burst out laughing and I could tell Elwin was trying really hard to keep it in.

"You did?!" Keefe asked. "You're my new hero! I am now the president of the Foster fan club."

I blushed.

Keefe smirked.

"Here, put this on those burns and you won't have any scars." Elwin said giving me a small tub of ointment. I put it on and sighed in relief.

"Well, I should get back to class." I said, getting up.

"I'll walk back with you." Said Keefe hopping up too.

Elwin raised an eyebrow.

"I thought your stomach hurt." He said.

"It's all better. You really are an amazing doctor, Elwin." Keefe grinned.

"Uh huh." Elwin said skeptically.

We walked back to my class. Keefe was making jokes the whole time.

"This is where I leave you." He said. " See ya, Foster."

He walked away down the hall. I wondered why he bothered to talk to me. He was obviously popular. The way he walked, the way he wore his hair... wait. Was I thinking about his hair?

 _Snap out of it Sophie!_

I walked into class and sat down. We took notes until the bell rang. I walked down the hall towards my next class, which passed uneventfully. Finally the bell rang for lunch. I walked out of the lunch line, and surveyed the lunchroom.

"Hey! Sophie!" Shouted a voice. I looked and saw Dex waving me over.

"Hey Dex." I said.

"Hey Soph- What happened to your hands?"

"Yeah I think we all want to know." said Marella.

Jensi nodded.

I told them the full story. By the end everyone was laughing. I couldn't help joining in.

"I can't believe you set her pants on fire!" Dex giggled.

"Uggh, don't remind me." I groaned.

The next bell rang and we all hurried to the next class. I suffered through my last two classes until it was time to finally go home. I met Dex and Marella by our lockers. We got in line to get on the bus to go home.

"Hey, Sophie?" Said a girl's voice from behind me.

I spun around to find myself facing Biana Vacker.


	4. Biana's house

**There will be more Keefe in this chapter.**

CHAPTER 4

"Biana?" I asked.

"Um, yeah. I was wondering... do you want to come to my house this afternoon?" She asked. "You could just get off with me at my stop."

"Sure. Just let me call Grady and Edaline..." I said.

Grady picked up on the third ring.

"What's up?" He asked.

"Um... Biana Vacker asked me if I wanted to go to her house for a little while. Is that OK?"

"Sure. Be back by 5."

"Thanks! See ya then."

"Bye kiddo."

"He said I could." I said, turning towards Biana.

"Great! You can sit with me on the bus." She replied.

Dex and Marella stared at me.

"What?" I asked.

"Oh, come on. You're going to Biana's house? As in princess prettypants Biana?" Dex asked.

Aw guys, just give her a chance." I said.

"Yeah, whatever. See you tomorrow Sophie. Come on Marella." Dex said as he walked away.

Marella looked at me apologetically, then followed Dex. I went to go sit by Biana.

We talked during the bus ride and I learned that Biana actually had two older brothers. One was, obviously, Fitz. The other, they didn't talk about much. He'd joined a gang of criminals called the Neverseen. We talked about our favorite and least favorite teachers and classes. Biana was actually very nice. I discovered that I liked her a lot. We had the same taste in music, books, and movies. She was way Girlier than me, but other than that we were really similar.

"Here we are!" She said as the bus stopped.

I followed her off of the bus and we stepped onto the sidewalk. Fitz joined us a second later

"So, Sophie, what do you think of Foxfire?" Fitz asked.

"It's nice. A lot nicer than my old school." I replied.

He grinned.

"Race you home!" He said. Then he took off running.

Biana sighed. Then she grabbed my arm and took off running, dragging me with her.

"We can't just let him win!" Biana yelled.

I laughed and ran faster. Unfortunately, my natural clumsiness caught up with me. I tripped and got a facefull of grass and dirt.

"Sophie!" Biana yelled "Are you OK!"

 _Do I look OK?!_ I thought.

"Yeah... Am I bleeding?" I groaned.

"...not exactly." She said.

"What does that even mean?" I asked.

"You're just so... dirty." She said.

I laughed. She helped me up and we walked to her house.

"I won- dang Sophie, what happened? Are you OK?" Fitz asked.

"Yeah. I'm fine."

"You're bleeding." He said.

I looked at Biana and raised my eyebrows.

"I swear you weren't before!" She said holding up her hands.

I laughed.

"Do you have any band aids?" I asked.

Fitz ran to get some. He came back and I put a bandaid on my nose. Someone knocked on the door.

"Oh, that's probably Keefe." Fitz said, walking over to the door.

Biana blushed and discreetly fixed her hair. I hid behind her.

"Hey Fitz. What's up?" Said Keefe, coming into the room.

"Hey Keefe!" Said Biana.

"S'up Biana. Foster? Is that you?" Keefe asked peering around Biana.

"Yeah." I said.

"Whoa! What did you do to your face?" He asked.

"I...fell." I said. His face was teasing, but his eyes looked genuinely concerned. That made my heart flutter for some reason.

 _Stupid heart._

"Hey Biana, do you want to do our chemistry homework?" I asked, changing the subject not-so-discreetly.

"No. Let's do makeovers." She said pulling me upstairs. Keefe smirked at me as I looked at him for help.

Biana pulled me into her room and closed the door.

"He's soooooo perfect." She sighed.

"Who...Keefe?" I asked.

"Yeah..."

"Don't let him hear you say that. He'll be insufferable..." I mumbled.

"Oh yeah! I was serious about the makeovers by the way." She squealed.

"Yay." I groaned.

"Yay!" She echoed with much more enthusiasm.

I sighed as she set to work. She cleaned up my dirty face. Then she pulled my hair out of my face, making my eyes look bigger. Then she dusted on some light eye makeup and mascara, highlighting the eyelashes I had left. When she was son I looked... really good actually.

"Ooh Sophie! You're so pretty! Go get us some food while I do my makeup. There are cookies in the kitchen." She said.

I raced downstairs then remembered that both Fitz and Keefe were here. My quest for cookies had turned into a stealth mission, because I really didn't want anyone to see me in makeup. I had two cookies in each hand and one in my mouth as I snuck back upstairs.

"Sophie?" Keefe asked from behind me.

I froze.

"Yes?" I asked, though it came out more like "yrth?" because of the cookie in my mouth.

"What are you doing?"

I turned around to see Keefe standing at the bottom of the stairs.

"Getting food." I said.

Keefe laughed.

"You look great, by the way. Makeup suits you." He winked.

"Um, thanks." I mumbled.

I turned around, so he wouldn't see me blushing, and ran to Biana's room.

"Hey there." She said, her makeup done perfectly.

"Hi." I said, handing her the cookies.

"What do you want to do now?" She asked.

"Hmmm... I don't know." I replied.

My phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Sophie? Are you OK?" Edaline's soft voice came from the phone.

"Yes. What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing. I was just checking on you. It's 5:20."

"Wait, really?"

"Yes."

"Oh my goodness, I'll be home soon. I'm so sorry. I lost track of time."

Edaline laughed.

"I figured." She said. "Just be home soon."

"OK. See you soon."

"See you soon." She hung up.

"I'm so sorry, Biana. I have to go. I was supposed to be home 20 minutes ago." I said, as I was packing up.

"That's OK, Sophie. See you tomorrow."

"See you. Thanks for having me over."

"Anytime" she grinned as I ran out of the door.

I ran downstairs, and had almost made it to the front door, when Keefe called out to me.

"Where are you going, Foster?" He asked.

"Home." I responded.

He laughed.

"See you tomorrow then, Sophie." He said.

I ran out of the front door and down the sidewalk towards my house.

 _See you tomorrow? What did that mean?_

 _Was I over thinking this? Yes._

I reached my house and ran inside.

"Sorry I'm late." I said as I put my school stuff away, and began my homework.

"No problem, honey. Good to see you making friends." Edaline called from the kitchen.

" I see that Biana has inherited her mother's talent for makeovers. " Edaline said when she saw my face.

"What happened to your hands though?" She asked.

"I'll tell you at dinner." I said." Grady is going to want to know what happened too, and I just can't tell the story twice."

Edaline nodded understandingly.

When Grady came home he did want to know what happened to my hands. I shared the story over dinner. I was seriously getting tired of telling it.

"I'm glad everyone was OK." Grady said, wiping the tears of laughter out of his eyes.

"I never liked Ms. Galvin when I had her." Edaline giggled.

"Wait, you had her? How old even is she?" I asked.

"Who knows. I think even she lost count." Grady said.

I laughed.

"Oh, I met Dex today." I said.

"I was hoping you would." Edaline smiled.

"He is a very nice boy." Grady said.

I yawned.

"You've had a long day. Maybe you should get some sleep." Edaline said.

"That sounds nice." I murmured.

I got ready for bed. Edaline turned off my light, and I was just drifting off, when I heard a scratching at my window.

A small white bird with a broken wing sat perched on my windowsill.

...

 **Silveny! Yay! I'm going to add Tam and Linh soon...**

 **I just love Sokeefe soooo much.**


	5. Meeting Tam and Linh

CHAPTER 5

I got out of bed and ran to the window. The little white bird shivered in the wind. I opened the window and picked the little bird up. Then I walked carefully down to Grady and Edaline's room.

I knocked on the door.

"Um... Guys?" I asked.

Edaline opened the door.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"This bird has a broken wing. It was perched on my windowsill, and it was shivering, so I couldn't just leave it there. I was wondering... could I fix it up?"

Edaline smiled gently.

"Of course. I've dealt with this kind of thing before. Let's brace and bandage its wing first." She said. "Grady! Come help us, please. I know you're listening."

Grady came over, and we all walked to the kitchen. Edaline showed me how to properly set and brace the bird's wing. Grady showed me how to bandage the wing without messing up the feathers.

"Are you going to name her?" He asked.

"Silveny." I said immediately. The name had just popped onto my head.

"You already knew what you wanted?" Edaline asked.

"No... It just felt right." I said.

"What kind of bird is she?" Edaline asked Grady.

"It's a moonlark." He said. (a/n I know it's not a real bird, but I really wanted to put the reference in.)

"She's very pretty." I said.

Edaline found a large birdcage for me to put Silveny in. I put her on my vanity, and turned out the lights.

...

I woke up the next morning to the sound of Solvent singing. It was beautiful. I sat up stretched, yawned, and got up. I took a shower and got into my uniform. I walked downstairs, ate, fed Iggy, fed Solvent, and left for school.

The rest of the week passed the same way. I went to Elwin's office several more times.

One very memorable day, I got hit by a dodgeball so hard in P.E. that I got knocked out.

I didn't see Keefe very much the rest of the week, we just passed each other in the hallway.

Finally, it was Saturday. I woke up, fed Silveny and Iggy, and went outside to let Iggy get some exercise. There were two kids standing outside of the house next door. They looked about my age, so I went over to talk to them.

They were a boy and a girl, obviously twins, with silver tips to their black hair.

"Hello." I said.

"Hi there! I'm Linh, and this is my brother Tam. It's SO good to meet you." The girl said.

I smiled back at her.

"I'm Sophie. It's good to meet you too." I said. "I love your hair, by the way."

"Thanks. Our parents hate it." The boy, Tam, said.

Linh laughed.

"Don't mind him." She said.

Iggy walked up and rubbed up against my legs.

"Awww!" Linh cooed and even Tam smiled.

"This is Iggy." I said grinning.

"He's so cute!" Linh squealed.

"Do you want to come with us to the park? We were just getting out of the house, so we have time to kill." Tam said.

"Oh yeah! Let me go tell Grady and Edaline." I said.

I ran to the house. Grady was in the kitchen.

"Hey, Grady. Tam and Linh from next door invited me to go to the park with them. Can I go?" I asked.

"Of course. Could you walk Verdi for me?" He asked.

"Sure." I said. I put Iggy up in my room, and put Verdi on a leash. Then I walked out to meet Tam and Linn.

"Hey guys! Sorry about Verdi. Grady asked me to walk her." I said.

"Oh, it's fine!" Linh said. "I've always wanted a dog. Who's a good girl?" She said, petting Verdi.

"Do you want to walk her?" I asked.

"Do I?" She said, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

I laughed, gaver the leash, and we all set off to the park.

"Do you go to Foxfire?" I asked as we passed the bus stop.

"No, we got expelled." Said Tam.

"I got expelled. You just wanted to stay with me." Linh corrected.

"Why?" I asked.

"There was an... Incident." Linh said.

Tam snorted.

"Do tell." I said expectantly.

"Well, I was walking, and I tripped, and I knocked the water fountain off the wall. The whole hallway was flooded. Even though it was an accident, I still got expelled. Now we go to exillium." Lihn told me.

"Our parents were so mad. It made it worth the trouble." Tam said.

I decided I didn't want to know about their complicated sounding family relationship.

"What's exillium like?" I asked.

"Basically, a cheaper version of Foxfire." Tam said.

"Huh. Sounds... Interesting." I said.

"It is." Linh said.

"I'm pretty sure Linh set a record for biggest disaster." Tam smiled.

Linh blushed and laughed.

"I set Ms. Galvin's pants on fire." I said. It just slipped out.

"Really?" They asked together.

"Yep" I said. I told them the story.

"Watch out Linh. She's coming for your record." Tam said, nudging Linh.

"Shut up. I flooded a hallway." Linh retorted.

We reached the park. Linh ran over and picked up a stick.

"Can I play fetch with Verdi?" She asked.

"Sure" I said, taking Verdi off of the leash.

"Yay! Come on Verdi!" Linh yelled, throwing the stick.

Tam and I sat down on a bench, watching Verdi and Linh.

"She's going to be so tired later." Said Tam.

"Who? Verdi or Linh?" I asked.

"Both." He laughed.

For some reason that was funny to us. Before we knew it we were laughing so hard we couldn't breathe.

"Sophie?" Said a voice.

I tried to stop laughing as I looked up to see Keefe, Fitz, and Biana staring at Tam and I.

...

 **Wow. I really need to get more creative with the cliffhangers.**

 **So far the ships are Sokeefe, Finh, Tiana, and Dexella. So yeah. If you want it to be Dexiana, just tell me though. I can't really decide anyway.**


	6. Awkward

**Thank you so much to for commenting!**

 **I went a whole chapter without Dex! Inconceivable!**

...

CHAPTER 6

"Sophie?" Keefe said. His eyes flickered between Tam and I.

"Yes?" I said.

"It's so crazy to see you here!" Said Biana.

"Who's this?" Asked Fitz.

"Oh! This is Tam. Tam, this is Fitz, Keefe, and Biana." I said.

"Hi." Said Tam, flipping his bangs out of his face.

I fought back a laugh at the look on Keefe's face. He looked really ticked off.

"Hey Sophie. Who's this?" Asked Linh, coming over.

"Hey Linh. This is Keefe, Fitz, and Biana." I said.

"Nice to meet you!" Said Biana, looking at Tam. She flipped her hair over her shoulder.

"Um, I should be getting back with Verdi." I said "Nice seeing you guys."

I got up and put Verdi on her leash.

"Um, yeah, we should go too." Said Tam, grabbing my arm.

"Ooh, can I walk Verdi again?" Asked Linh. Apparently, Linh was immune to the awkwardness.

"Of course." I said. "See you guys later." I said to Fitz, Biana, and Keefe.

"Bye! You should come over again sometime!" Said Biana.

Keefe was glaring at Tam's hand on my arm.

"Well... bye." I said.

I walked away with Tam and Linh.

"That was... weirdly awkward." I said once we were out of the park.

"Yeah... It was." Agreed Tam.

"So, do you go to school with them?" Asked Linh.

"Yeah." I said.

My phone rang.

It was Grady.

"Hello?"

"Are you okay?"

"Um, yeah. Why?"

"Just checking. You've been gone for a while, so I got worried." He sighed.

"Oh, OK. Well, I'm on my way home anyway." I said.

"See you soon. Stay safe."

"Ok. Bye, Grady."

"Bye."

He hung up.

"Who was that?" Asked Tam.

"My dad. He's just worries when I'm gone too long." I said.

Linh sighed.

"I wish our parents cared" She said.

"Don't answer if you don't want to, but what's up with your parents?" I asked.

"They just... we're embarrassments to them. 'The kids who got expelled'" Tam said.

"They want us to be perfect, and we can't live up to their standard. So, we mainly avoid them." Linh said.

"That makes sense. I had a foster family like that once. Boy, was I glad when I moved out." I said.

"It's good to have _someone_ understand." Said Tam.

We reached our houses.

"Well, I've got to go. Grady is gonna flip if I don't get inside." I said.

"It was nice to meet you, Sophie." Said Tam.

"See ya around. Bye, Verdi!" Said Linh.

Linh skipped away down the sidewalk with Tam following close behind with his hands in his pockets. I laughed at how different they were.

I walked inside and let Verdi off her leash. She ran off, probably to chew on a shoe or something.

"Sophie!" Called Edaline, running to give me a hug.

"Hey." I said.

"Good to see you home safe. I was starting to get worried! By the way, Dex came by while you were gone. He's in your room." She said.

"OK, thanks." I said, running up the stairs.

I opened the door to my room, and there was Dex, putting bows in Iggy's fur.

I giggled. Dex looked up.

"Hey, Sophie." He said sheepishly.

"Hey Dex." I said, sitting on my bed.

"I just wanted to say... I'm sorry about the way I acted the other day. I just don't like the Vackers. We cool?" He asked hopefully.

"Of course! Just a question... why don't you like them?" I asked.

"They're just so perfect, and they act like snobby rich kids. At least around me." He said.

"I get that. Once they warm up to you, they really are great." I said. "Give them a chance."

"Okay. Oh, who's the new roommate?" He asked, pointing to Silveny.

"That's Silveny. I found her with a broken wing. We're waiting for her to heal, so that she can be released back into the wild."

"That's really cool!" Dex said.

"Yeah! By the way, completely unrelated, do you like Marella?" I asked, a thought that had occurred to me earlier.

He turned beet red.

"M-marella? Y-yeah. As a friend? Yeah. I like her. As a friend." He stuttered.

"I think we both know that I didn't mean as a friend." I said, raising my eyebrows.

"Ugh, I thought you were cooler than this." Dex mumbled.

I laughed.

"So... That's a yes?"

"Maybe?" He whispered.

"Yay! You guys would be so cute!" He glared at me. " But, I'm not gonna push it." I said.

"Uh huh." He said skeptically. " I see you crushing on Fitz anyway."

"W-what?!" I said, blushing beet red. "Am not! I mean he's cute and stuff but he's not my type- wait a second."

Dex was laughing at me.

"Hey!" I said.

"Doesn't feel too good, does it Sophie?" He laughed. "Besides, everyone knows you like Keefe."

I blushed. Did I like Keefe? No! Maybe... Pfft, I didn't even know him that well.

"Wait, really?" He asked, his eyes wide.

"I-I don't. I hardly even know him."

"Suuuuure, Sophie. Sure."

"Does anyone else think that?" I asked.

"Not that I know. I just made that up to tease you." He grinned.

Oh, thank goodness.

"Anyway..." I said.

"Hmmmm... It's nice out today. Do you want to go outside?"

"Nah. I was just at the park."

"Then... A movie?"

"That sounds fun." I said.

We went downstairs, and after much debate, decided to watch Lord of the Rings. We both could quote parts of the movie. About halfway through, Grady and Edaline sat down with us. Edaline brought popcorn.

When the movie was over, we got into a debate about which character was best.

"Obviously Legolas." I said. "Elves are super awesome!"

"Um no." Dex argued. "Frodo is better."

"Nuh uh!"

"Yeah huh!"

"Nuh uh!"

"Yea-" Dex was cut off by the doorbell.

I opened the door to find Alden standing there.

"Ah, Sophie. I was hoping to talk to you."

...

 **What does Alden want to talk about? I have no idea. I will figure it out eventually.**

 **I am actually addicted to writing this story**.


	7. Bronte

**OK this chapter is going to be weird. I needed an excuse to add my favorite COUNCILLOR BRONTE MY DUDE!**

 **I need sleep. My brain does weird stuff when I'm tired.**

...

CHAPTER 7

(Previously: "Ah, Sophie. I was hoping to talk to you." Said Alden.)

"About what?" I asked.

"Oh, it's no reason to worry. It regards your enrollment in Foxfire." He said.

"I'm gonna go. See ya Sophie." Said Dex, walking out of the front door.

"Bye Dex." I turned to Mr. Alden "Um, OK. Do you want to talk here, or..?"

"Here is fine. Mr. Bronte will be here in a minute." He said.

"Mr. Bronte?" I asked.

"Yes. He is a member of the school board."

I felt the blood drain from my face. Edaline walked into the room.

"Hi Alden. Sophie, what's wrong? You look a little pale."

"I promise, its nothing to worry about. Bronte just wants to make sure that you belong at Foxfire." Said Mr. Alden.

"Oh honey, it'll be OK. He's only here because you didn't take the entrance exam." Said Edaline.

"Wait, you knew this was going to happen?" I asked.

"Yes. I should have brought it up sooner, but I kept forgetting." She said. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. What's going to happen?" I asked.

"Well-"

A knock on the door.

Edaline opened the door to reveal a severe looking man. He was middle aged and severe looking.

"Hello. You must be Sophie." He said, looking at me with disdain.

"Yes sir." I said.

He nodded.

"Nice to meet you." He said.

"Um, please, follow me to the living room." Said Edaline. "Would you like something to drink?" She asked.

"No, thank you. This shouldn't take long." He said.

He sat in a chair. Alden took another chair and Edaline and I claimed the couch. Edaline grabbed my hand.

"All I want to do is ask you a few questions."

It started out easy. Name, age, birthday, birthplace, etc. It got harder as the questions went on. What do you want to be when you grow up? How well do you work with others? He wrote everything down, and at the end he turned to me.

"I'm sorry if that seemed a little strange and sudden. Those were the questions everyone answered on the entrance exam. I think that, if you do well on midterms, you can definitely stay." Bronte said.

"Thank you, sir." I said.

"Of course. Good day ma'am. Thank you for your hospitality." He said to Edaline.

He nodded goodbye, then walked out of the front door.

"You did great, Sophie! I'm going back to the house, if you want to come. Biana has been dying to see you. In fact, if it's OK with Grady and Edaline, you could spend the night."

"That's a wonderful idea!" Said Edaline. "It's so good that Sophie has such great friends."

"Really? I can go? Thank you!" I said.

Edaline smiled at me.

"I'll miss you. Be careful. Go pack up, then go say goodbye to Grady. He's in the kitchen."

I ran upstairs, packed pajamas and a change of clothes, then ran downstairs. I put my bag down, then strolled into the kitchen.

"Bye Grady. I'm going to a sleepover at Biana's house." I said, hugging him.

"Bye Sophie. Be careful. Call if you need anything. Don't talk to strangers. Don't pet wild animals. Don't -"

"I'll be careful. I promise." I said laughing.

I walked into the living room where Alden was waiting. I picked Iggy up off of the sofa.

"Do you mind if I bring Iggy?" I asked.

Alden smiled.

"Not at all." He said.

He led me to his car and opened the door for me. We drove in silence, with only the sound of Iggy meowing to fill the car.

When we got to his house (more of a mansion) he walked me to the front door.

He opened the door, and Biana pounced on me with a hug.

"Let the sleepover begin!" She yelled.

...

 **Yay! Sleepover! Let the games begin. I'm gonna do everything! Truth or dare, makeovers, the more cliché the better. Keefe is gonna be there too.**

 **Bwa ha ha ha ha ha!**

 **I'm sorry again about the random weirdness with Bronte.**

 **There will be Sokeefe fluff in the next chapter.**

 **I am going to sleep now.**


	8. Sleepover: part 1

**Ok ok, so I know I promised you Sokeefe. I** ** _will_** **give you Sokeefe. I present to you: chapter 8.**

 **This chapter is really short, but there is Sokeefe.**

...

CHAPTER 8

"Hey Biana!" I said.

"Awww, you brought your cat." She cooed.

"Yep. This is Iggy." I said.

I followed her to her room and put my stuff down. Then I grabbed Iggy and we went back downstairs.

"Hey guys! Sophie's here!" Biana yelled into Fitz's room.

Fitz and Keefe came out.

"Keefe is spending the night too." Said Biana.

Really? Yay!CHAPTER 8

"Hey Biana!" I said.

"Awww, you brought your cat." She cooed.

"Yep. This is Iggy." I said.

I followed her to her room and put my stuff down. Then I grabbed Iggy and we went back downstairs.

"Hey guys! Sophie's here!" Biana yelled into Fitz's room.

Fitz and Keefe came out.

"Keefe is spending the night too." Said Biana.

 _Really? Yay! Whoa. Snap. Out. Of. It._

"Yep. Good to see ya Foster." He said, grinning at me.

"Yeah... Same." I said. _Smooth. Real smooth._

"So, what do you wanna do?" Asked Biana.

"We could...talk?" I suggested.

"About what?" Biana asked.

"I wanna know what was up with that kid, Tam." Said Fitz.

"Tam? Well he's my friend. And my neighbor." I said.

"Yeah, but like, what else?" Asked Biana.

"Mmm hmmm. Give us the details." Keefe said.

"Did you guys... Plan this?" I asked.

They all looked at each other.

"No. We're just curious." Said Keefe.

"Well, I'm curious about dinner." I said.

"Oh yeah!" Said Biana. " We're having spaghetti! With..." She went on to describe the whole meal, effectively changing the subject.

We went downstairs, ate dinner, then went to the living room. We sat in a circle on the floor.

"Ooh! Its not dark yet. Do you guys want to play Base Quest?" Asked Biana.

"What?" I asked.

"Oh yeah! Its a game that Biana and I invented. Its like hide and seek mixed with capture the flag."

"I call Foster!" Yelled Keefe, sliding his arm around my shoulders.

I blushed. Keefe smirked.

"Okay, Vackers vs. Visitors." Said Fitz. He led us to the backyard. He handed us each a scrap of fabric.

"These are the flags." Biana explained.

"Ready... GO!" Fitz yelled.

We ran to go hide our flag.

"So, I'll go tag them, you hide the flag." Said Keefe.

"I-I, um, OK." I said. _Why couldn't I talk._

"You're cute when you blush." Said Keefe.

I rolled my eyes. And blushed more. Keefe laughed and ran off. I decided to climb a tree to hide the flag.

I was halfway up, when I heard voices.

"Let's go this way." It sounded like Fitz.

I froze. Unfortunately, I was on a small branch, which broke right as they were walking under my tree. I fell. On top of them.

"Ooooow!" Groaned Fitz.

"Tag?" I said.

Biana burst out laughing. Keefe came running over to us.

"Found you- whoa what happened? Foster what did you do." Keefe asked, raising an eyebrow.

"She fell on us. Out of a tree." Said Fitz.

Keefe burst out laughing.

"That's my Foster!" He said.

"Ha ha." I said, blushing. "Let's go in. It's almost nightfall. **(A/N hehe references.)**

We got the flags and went inside.

"Ooooh, I have an idea!" Squealed Biana.

"Uh oh." I mumbled.

"Let's play Truth or Dare."

...

 **Cliffhanger... I guess. Sorry its so short. I just wanted to give you guys some Sokeefe.**

 **So yeah.**

 **Any suggestions?**


	9. Sleepover: part 2

**Cliché? Truth or Dare? Pffft! Nonsense.**

 **Wow. This took** ** _forever_** **to write. I hope you enjoy it. I added a POV change!**

CHAPTER 9

"Really?" I asked.

"Yep." Said Biana, with an evil grin. "I'll go first."

I groaned.

"Keefe." Biana said, looking at him. "Truth or Dare?"

"Hmmm... Dare." Said Keefe.

"I dare you to let me give you a makeover." Biana said immediately. It was clear that she had planned this.

"Yes, gurrl!" Shouted Keefe.

Biana grabbed his hand and pulled him upstairs. They were gone for, like, 20 minutes. Fitz and I started playing cards with a deck that I brought.

"Ha! Speed!" I yelled, right as Keefe and Biana walked in. **(A/n speed is my favorite card game.)**

"Aw, playing without me?" Keefe asked, causing Fitz and I to look at him.

I burst out laughing.

"What?" Keefe asked, looking playfully offended. "I am so totally rockin' this look."

His hair had need brushed into a teeny tiny ponytail on top of his head. He had on extravagant makeup with bold colors.

Best of all, he was wearing a dress. A dress.

"You look lovely." Said Fitz, trying not to laugh.

"See. Fitz gets it." Said Keefe, looking at me. "Biana did a great job." He shifted his gaze to her and winked.

Biana blushed and grinned proudly.

I felt a surge of jealously. But wait. I didn't like Keefe like that. Did I?

"My turn!" Keefe said. "Foster. Truth or Dare?"

Yikes. This was going to be a tough choice. I didn't trust Keefe dare-wise. But what if he asked me who I liked? Nope. I wasn't taking that chance.

"Dare." I said nervously.

"I dare you to... Let me fix your hair."

That wasn't so bad. Actually quite tame, compared to what I was expecting. But wait a second... Did he insult my hair?

"What's wrong with my hair?" I asked, blushing.

"Everything, hon." He said, with a ridiculously annoying accent.

I rolled my eyes, but turned around so that he could reach my hair.

He started to French braid it, and his nimble fingers were surprisingly gentle.

We told ghost stories while he braided.

"There." He said when he'd finished. "Do you have a hair tie?"

"Um, yeah." I said handing it behind me.

"Ooh, Sophie, you look so pretty! Go grab a mirror." Said Biana.

I found a conveniently placed hand mirror, and gazed into it.

"Oh... Oh wow." I said.

He had French braided the top of my hair, but left the bottom loose. It made me look older, more mature.

"This is really amazing!" I said.

"No need to sound so shocked." Keefe teased.

I turned to see him smirking at me, so I rolled my eyes.

"Oh yeah! It's my turn! Fitz, Truth or Dare?"

"Hmmm... Truth." He said.

I knew exactly what I wanted to ask.

"Where were you when you were supposed to be on P.E. on Friday?" I asked.

"Um, I was..." He mumbled something.

I grinned.

"Speak up." I said.

"I was ditching. With Keefe." He mumbled.

Biana gasped and fell off of the couch.

"Really? Ooh, I have dirt on you now. I f mom and dad found out..." She let the threat hang.

"Thanks, Sophie." Fitz grumbled.

Keefe and I burst out laughing.

He sighed.

"Anyway... Biana. Truth or Dare?" He said.

"...dare." She said.

"I dare you to..." He thought for a moment. "Let Sophie give you a makeover."

"Nooooooo! She wailed.

"Ha ha! Yes!" I said, dragging her out of the room. "We'll be back soon!" I said cheerfully as we left.

I pulled her all the way to her room.

"Please don't make me take my makeup off." She begged.

"Oh, no. You can do whatever with your makeup. I'm here for clothes." I said.

Then I pulled her hair back into a simple ponytail.

I rummaged through her closet. Even though we all wore uniforms, we still had tons of casual clothes. Choosing what you want to wear is one of the nicest things about weekends.

But man, Biana had a lot of clothes.

I finally found what I was looking for: a T-shirt and jeans.

"Here. Put these on." I said handing them to her.

She sighed, but went into the bathroom.

When she came out, I proclaimed her to be finished.

"It's so comfortable!" She exclaimed.

I laughed.

"Actually, I am gonna take off my makeup. You can go ahead downstairs. I'll meet you." She said.

"OK." I said, and quietly walked downstairs. I was almost to the living room, when I heard Fitz and Keefe talking.

"If you like her so much, just tell her how you feel!" Fitz said, sounding exasperated.

"But what if she doesn't like me? What if-" Keefe abruptly stopped talking when I walked into the room.

 _Dang it. I should have listened at the door._ I wondered who they were talking about. Whoever she was Keefe liked her. _Lucky girl_.

"Where's Biana?" Fitz asked.

"Taking her makeup off." I said, sitting down.

"Girls." Fitz muttered. "So, how'd she take the makeover?"

"Surprisingly well. She was so surprised at how comfortable the clothes were." I said, laughing.

"I'm not sure if she's ever even worn jeans." Fitz laughed.

"Yeah. I love my jeans. I might not look good, but I'm always comfortable." I said.

"You always look good." Said Keefe.

The seriousness on his face made my heart flutter.

I blushed.

Keefe smirked.

Fitz rolled his eyes.

Biana walked in, saving me from the awkwardness.

"Hey guys, mom says it's time for bed." She said glumly.

We groaned.

"But, she did say we could sleep in here so, let's go get our stuff.

Biana and I raced upstairs, grabbed our sleeping bags, changed into our pajamas and ran back downstairs. Keefe and Fitz were already there, Keefe having taken his ridiculous makeup off.

We set up our sleeping bags, and I crawled in, so tired that I barely noticed how I was right next to Keefe.

Biana turned the lights off, we all got quiet and I drifted off to sleep.

KEEFE POV

How was I supposed to sleep, when she was right next to me? I gazed at her serene face, until I realized that I was watching her sleep.

 _That's a little creepy Keefe. Get it together._

I rolled over in my sleeping bag.

Sophie was amazing. The first day I saw her, I knew I liked her. She was so brave, and sarcastic, and...

 _Whoa there, Keefe. Stop thinking about Sophie. Time to sleep._

Couldent get her off of my mind. I had to tell her how I feel. Follow Fitz's advice for once. I just needed to wait for the right time.

I drifted off, dreaming of Sophie Foster.

...

I woke up to the sound of someone whimpering. I glanced over to my right and saw Sophie, obviously having a bad dream. She looked so scared. I pulled her into my arms.

" Sophie, wake up!" I whispered.

SOPHIE POV

I was running.

I didn't know what I was running from, but all I felt was fear, fear and panic.

"Help me!" I screamed as I ran. Either nobody was around, or nobody cared.

"Sophie, wake up!" A voice whispered.

I woke up gasping for air. I was vaguely aware of someone's arms around me.

"Shhh. Shhh, its all OK. It was just a dream." A soothing voice said.

Keefe. I rolled to face him.

"Bad dream?" He asked.

I nodded and snuggled closer to him. What? I had just woken up. I wasn't thinking straight.

"Whattimeisit?" I mumbled.

"6:30. Why? Are you going somewhere?" He joked.

"We could watch the sunrise." I suggested.

"I actually like that idea." Keefe said.

I grabbed a blanket, and we walked over to the door that led to the porch.

We snuggled together, and wrapped the blanket around us.

I sighed in contentment as the sun rose above the horizon.

...

 **So... What did you think?**

 **There is more coming, I just have a lot of homework, so it could take a while.**

 **Byeo.**


	10. Silveny

**Woohoo! I finally got around to writing a chapter! Yay! Okay, so the Sokeefe will begin to move faster from here.**

 **I will try to update soon.**

...

CHAPTER 10

"Breakfast time!" Called Della from the kitchen.

I separated myself from Keefe and stood up.

"Awww, Foster, you would choose _food_ over _me_?" he asked with a pout.

"Yes." I deadpanned.

He sighed.

"Fine. I see how it is." he joked.

I helped him up, and we walked to the kitchen.

"Good morning, kids! I made breakfast. Its porrage, and its happy to see you!" Della exclaimed, setting down to bowls. They had porrage with eggs and bacon making a happy face shape. **(a/n Mulan reference. I love that movie and I can basically quote the whole thing. Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah...)**

Fitz and Biana were still out cold, so Keefe and I ate breakfast just the two of us.

"Thith ith goob!" Keefe said with his mouth full.

I cringed.

"Eww, Keefe that's gross." I said, wrinkling my nose.

He swallowed and smirked at me.

"Squeamish, Foster?" he asked.

I rolled my eyes.

"No, I just-"

I never got to finish my sentence, because at that moment my phone rang. It was Grady.

"Hello?" I said.

"Good morning, Sophie! I have good news for you." Grady said cheerfully.

I perked up.

"What?" I asked.

"Silveny's wing is healed enough to set her free!" he said.

"Oh my gosh! Really!?" I yelled.

Keefe looked at me questioningly.

Grady laughed.

"Yep. I gave her a check up this morning, and she's good to go! I figured you would want to be here for her release though, so..." he trailed off.

"Oh! I'll be right home!" I said.

"Bye, Sophie. I would prefer it if one of your friends walked you home though, for safety purposes." Grady said.

"Bye Grady. I'll take a friend, don't worry."

I hung up.

Keefe raised an eyebrow.

"So... You gonna tell me what that yelling was about?" he asked.

"Yep. First let me go change, then I'll tell you. You can actually come with me... If you want..." I said.

"Sure thing, Foster." he said.

I went back into the living room and packed up my stuff. I was heading to the bathroom to change, when Biana woke up.

"Sophie! Are you leaving?" she asked, rubbing her eyes.

"Yeah, Grady, wants me home, so I have to go. Keefe's leaving too." I replied.

"Awww, I ship you guys!" Biana sqealed.

I flushed deep red.

"I-I...no...it's not...like that." I stuttered like an idiot.

Biana smirked.

"Please don't tell me you're wearing that." she said, glancing down at my pajamas.

I blushed.

"Well obviously not. I was on my way to change clothes, when _someone_ interrupted." I replied.

"What were you gonna wear." she asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Um... This." I said, pulling out a gray top and a pair of jeans.

Biana gasped in horror.

"You know what... I think I have a red top that would go _perfectly_ with your eyes. Its too small for me, but you'll fit." she said.

Then she dashed upstairs.

"Hey, Foster. What's the holdup?" Keefe asked, coming into the room.

"Biana has deemed my clothes 'unfit.' She's getting me a new shirt." I said.

Keefe laughed.

"We're going to be here _forever_!" he groaned.

Biana came into the room with a shirt in her hands.

"Sophie! Come with me." she said, dragging me to her room.

She gave me the shirt, and I grabbed my jeans. I walked into the bathroom and put the shirt on. It was a flowy red blouse. **(a/n- that's all the detail I've got. I am not a clothing guru.)**

"Eeeeeeee! You look so pretty!"Biana squealed when I came out.

I still had the hairdo Keefe had done last night. Paired with the blouse, I had to admit I looked great.

I walked down the stairs and into the kitchen.

Keefe's jaw dropped.

He blushed.

I smirked.

Oh, how the tables have turned.

"Looking good, Foster." he said, recovering his cool just as quickly as he had lost it.

"We should hurry. Grady's probably freaking out." I said, grabbing my bag.

We said goodbye to Della, and Biana offered to walk with us.

Poor Fitz was going to wake up alone. **(a/n- I try to keep the Fitz bashing at a minimum... But this opportunity just presented itself.)**

We set off down the street, laughing and joking. It was really great to have friends, even if I would have preferred to be alone with Keefe.

Yeah, yeah- I admit it. I may have a _small_ crush on him. _Small._

We turned onto my street, and I saw Tam sitting with Linh out in front of their house.

Keefe stiffened beside me.

Biana fixed her hair.

Tam glanced up.

"Oh, hey Sophie. You look nice." he said.

I blushed.

Keefe scowled.

"Thanks, Tam." I replied.

"Sophie! It's so good to see you!" Linh said, running to hug me.

"Good to see you too! I'm releasing Silveny today. Do you want to come?" I asked.

Linh squealed in response. Tam shrugged. I took that to mean yes.

"OK, come on." I said leading them into the house.

"Sophie!" Cried Edaline and Grady, running to squish me in a hug.

"Air..." I gasped.

"We missed you!" Said Edaline.

"I was only gone for one night." I said.

"I know... Still." Edaline smiled.

"Who's this?" Grady said, eyeing Keefe.

"Oh. Grady, this is Keefe. Keefe, this is Grady." I said.

Keefe smirked.

Grady narrowed his eyes.

"Anyways... Silveny." I said.

"Oh yeah! Go get her. She's in your room." Grady said.

I ran upstairs, grabbed the cage, then carefully carried her downstairs.

"Oooh, is this Silveny?" Asked Keefe.

Silveny cooed.

"She likes me!" he exclaimed, grinning.

"Sure." I said. It was true though. Silveny obviously liked him.

"I'm sure going to miss you." I said to Silveny.

We went outside and set her free. She flew a few feet before settling on a branch and singing.

Then she flew away. My eyes watered.

Keefe put his arm around me, and I leaned into him.

Grady glared.

"Well, I should get going." Said Biana.

"Here, I'll walk you home." Tam offered. Awww.

"I should go too. We have midterms tomorrow." Said Keefe.

I groaned.

Tomorrow was going to be a long day.

...

 **Oooh midterms. If that doesn't fit with the original timeline of the story, then... Eh screw it.**

 **Idek.**

 **Sokeefe kiss will happen soon.**

 **Should I add Keefe's parents?**


	11. Stina

**Going to add something from the original story...**

 **Yay!**

 **And stuff.**

 **If you have any suggestions, just comment, because I plan to finish this in the next two chapters.**

CHAPTER 11

I woke up on the morning of midterms to find Iggy nesting in my hair. The little cat had somehow managed to get himself trapped in my long golden locks.

"Ow, what...?" I groaned as I tried to sit up.

Iggy meowed and squirmed, trapping himself more.

"Edaline! Help!" I yelled.

She burst into the room.

"What is it? What's wrong?" she asked, running towards my bed.

"Iggy..." I said.

She burst out laughing.

"Only you, Sophie. Only you have this much bad luck." Edaline giggled, getting to work.

She pulled and prodded for what seemed like forever before Iggy was free.

"You have to hurry! You'll miss the bus." she said.

I jumped into my uniform, brushed my incredibly tangled hair, and ran downstairs. I put on my backpack, and ran to the kitchen.

"ByeGradybyeEdalineloveyouseeyou!" I said, grabbing a piece of toast. Then I sprinted out of the front door.

I made it to the bus stop just in time.

I sat down next to Dex and munched on my toast.

"Wow, you barely made it." he remarked.

"Mmmmm." I mumbled.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Iggy. Hair." I said. I was exhausted after such a long sleepless night.

True, I had always had problems with insomnia, but the stress from midterms didn't help.

"Nervous about midterms?" Dex asked.

I groaned.

"I'll take that as a yes." Dex chuckled.

We got to school, and I stepped off of the bus.

We walked to the cafeteria for Monday Morning Announcements.

"Good morning students. As you all know, we have midterms today. You will be divided by grade, and will be given an exam by each teacher." **(a/n- making this up as I go.)**

We split up into separate grades, and we began our midterms.

For Math, English, Science, and History we had paper tests.

For P.E. we had tho do a certain amount of exercises in a limited amount of time.

For Art, I had to critique an artwork.

For French, I had to have a short conversation with my teacher. This was easy for me, because I had already become fluent in French when I lived with some previous foster parents. **(a/n- polyglot, I guess? Idk.)**

Advanced chemistry was last. We had to find a way to get the rust off of an iron key.

Did vinegar work? I feel like I had read that somewhere. Yep, there was vinegar on the table. What they didn't tell you, is that you had to scrub the iron. When time was up, I only had three quarters of the key done. Oh, well. I did my best.

I sighed wearily as we went to lunch.

"How'd you do?" asked Dex, coming to walk beside me.

"Eh. Average, I guess."

"Cool. I'm pretty sure I failed English, but whatever. I just can't understand verbals." he griped.

"Ugh. Same." I laughed.

"Hey, Foster!" called a voice from behind me.

I turned to see Keefe and Fitz walking towards me.

"Hey guys." I said.

"How were midterms?" Fitz asked.

"Meh." Dex and I said together.

Keefe laughed.

"I'm gonna drop my stuff off in my locker. I'll meet you guys." I said, turning towards my locker.

I got there, opened it, and put my stuff in my bag.

"Hey, Sophie." Biana said, coming up behind me.

"Hey, Biana." I said.

"Hey there, girls." a nasally voice sounded behind me.

I spun around to see Stina.

"Stina?" I asked.

"The one and only. So, has Biana told you?" she asked, grinning.

I sighed.

"Cut to the chase, Stina. What do you want?" I said. I wasn't in the mood for Stina's crazy antics at the moment.

"She hasn't told you? Well, let me tell you then. Biana's dad knows my dad. My dad told me." she started.

"Told you...?" I was really done with Stina.

"Biana here isn't really your friend. Her dear ol' dad just made her hang out with you." she grinned triumphantly.

I looked at Biana, and the look on her face told me that it was true.

"No! Sophie... We really are friends, even if it started that way-" I cut her off.

"Stop. Just...stop." I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

I grabbed my things from my locker, slammed it then ran away. Weak? Maybe. I just couldn't take it anymore.

 _Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry._ I chanted in my head as I ran down the hall way.

I was going home and never coming back.

It was at that moment that I slammed into the two most unhelpful people possible.

"Hey Foster, I- what's wrong?" Keefe asked.

"Leave me alone!" I said, trying, and failing, to keep my voice even.

"Are you OK?" Fitz asked.

Anger flared up inside of me, threatening to boil over.

"Ok? _OK?!_ No! I'm not OK! My life feels like a lie right now. Did Alden talk to you two, also?" I yelled, losing it. I was grateful for the empty hallway.

"What are you talking about?" Keefe asked quietly, looking from me to Fitz.

"What did Biana say?" Fitz asked.

"Fitz?" Keefe asked, a hint of anger in his voice.

Tears were streaming down my face now, but I no longer cared.

"That's what I thought!" I yelled, before bolting.

"Foster! Wait!" called Keefe.

I was already gone.

I ran and ran, not stopping until I reached home. Then I sat on the front stoop and sobbed my heart out.

"Foster?" a soft voice called.

KEEFE POV

"Ok? _OK?!_ No! I'm not OK! My life feels like a lie right now. Did Alden talk to you two, also?" Foster yelled. I had never seen her so worked up. Tears were streaming down her pretty face. It hurt my heart to see her that way.

"What are you talking about?" I asked quietly, glancing at Fitz. Did she mean what I thought she meant?

"What did Biana say?" Fitz asked.

Yes. It had to be. Had Biana really told Sophie though? That was a terrible thing to say. I could see how hurt she was.

"Fitz?" I asked, unable to keep the anger out of my voice.

He had hurt my Sophie. Well, not _my_ Sophie, but that's unimportant.

"That's what I thought!" She yelled. Then she ran off.

"Foster! Wait!" I yelled after her.

I turned to Fitz.

"Well?" I asked.

"My dad... He asked us to be friends with Sophie. It started out like that. Now she really is a good friend. I never thought Biana would say anything..." he said.

I ran after her. Dang, she was a fast runner. I assumed she was going home though, so I just went there.

When I got there, I saw Sophie, sobbing on the front stoop of her house.

"Foster?" I called.

...

 **Cliffhanger... I guess?**

 **Sokeefe kiss. Is coming. I ship it. So. Hard.**

 **Anyway, I forgot to mention, Sophie is 16, Keefe is 17.**

 **:3**


	12. Feeling better

**So... I am very very very very sorry that I didn't update sooner.**

 **I also realized that I never gave these works ages. So here you go:**

 **Fitz-17**

 **Sophie-16**

 **Keefe-16**

 **Biana-16**

 **This is the second to last chapter!**

 **Almost done. I also forgot to add a disclaimer, so: I do not own these characters. Sadly.**

 **I tried to make this a long chapter...**

CHAPTER 12

"Foster?" a soft voice called.

I looked up to see Keefe standing awkwardly in front of me. I hid my tearstained face behind my hair.

"What do you want?" I choked out.

"Fitz told me..." he began.

"Mr. Alden didn't talk to you, too?" I sniffed.

He sat down next to me.

"Why would you think that?" he asked.

"B-because, you're popular, and cute, and I'm just...me." I mumbled.

He put his arm around my shoulders.

"Just you? Sophie, you are amazing! There's a reason I'm the president of your fan club."

I looked at him.

"What?" he asked.

"You called me Sophie." I said.

He smiled softly.

"You called me cute." He smirked.

Had I said that?

 _Oh no. Please say I didn't._

"Did I?" I asked.

"Yep." he said, full on grinning.

I blushed.

"Awww, Foster, you're cute too." he winked.

Did he just...?

 _Cute?_

I started to smile gently.

"See? The Keefester can get you to feel better again." he said.

"So sure of yourself." I responded.

He pulled me closer.

"I-I have to tell you. Before I loose my nerve." he started.

I stared at him. Was this what I hoped it was? Did he like me?

 _I wish._

"Yes?" I asked

"I-" he was cut off by the door opening

"Sophie?" Grady's wide eyes took in the scene in front of him.

My wet cheeks and red rimmed eyes.

Keefe sitting next to me.

Keefe's arm around my shoulders.

His eyes narrowed.

"What's going on here? Is something wrong? Why aren't you in school?" he asked.

My smile faded.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

I told him the story. Halfway through, my voice broke and I started crying again.

"Sophie, it's gonna be ok." said Grady, nudging Keefe out of the way so he could sit next to me.

"You should go talk to Biana and Fitz." Keefe piped in.

"He's right." Grady mumbled.

I couldn't see Keefe, because he was behind Grady, but I knew he was probably smirking.

"Sophie, why don't you come with me into the kitchen. I'll get you a piece of mallowmelt." Grady said gently.

"What about Keefe?" I asked.

"It's okay, Foster. I'll wait out here." Keefe told me, glancing at Grady.

"You sure?" I asked.

"He's sure." Grady said, pulling me inside.

I sent Keefe an apologetic look as Grady closed the door.

"Keefe? Really?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" I asked innocently.

"You know exactly what I mean." he said, raising an eyebrow.

I sighed.

"Fine. Yeah. I like him. Happy?" I grumbled.

"No. First of all, what's with the attitude? Second, you can do so much better than that boy." he grumbled.

"No! He's sweet, and he actually cares and-" I was cut of by Grady sighing. Loudly.

"Fine. If you like him that much, then... I won't hate him." he said.

I could tell that was the best offer I was getting.

"Yay! Thank you, Grady! Now about that mallowmelt..." I said.

"Yeah, yeah." he grumbled , but I could have sworn he was suppressing a smile as he went to the kitchen.

He came back with two paper plates of mallowmelt.

I have him a hug and stepped out into the porch.

"Here ya go." I said, handing a plate and plastic fork to Keefe.

I wonder what he did while I was inside.

KEEFE POV

When Grady opened the door, I decided that the universe hated me. I had just worked up the courage to tell Sophie about my massive crush on her.

I can't believe she thought I only talked to her because Alden told me to.

I can't believe Biana would say that to her. I mean, I've known Biana for years, and she isn't that type of person. I'll have to hear the full story later.

I can't believe she called me cute.

Sophie Foster. Called me. Cute.

I heard Sophie start to cry again, and snapped back into reality.

She had been telling Grady the story of... this big crazy mess.

"Sophie, it's gonna be ok." said Grady, nudging me out of the way so he could sit next to Sophie. _Ouch_. I know he cares about Sophie, but still.

Oh well.

"You should go talk to Biana and Fitz." I said.

"He's right." Grady mumbled.

Wait. Was Grady agreeing with me? Thank you, photographic memory, for helping me remember this moment forever.

"Sophie, why don't you come with me into the kitchen. I'll get you a piece of mallowmelt." Grady said to Sophie.

"What about Keefe?" she asked.

Aww. She does care.

"It's okay, Foster. I'll wait out here." I told her, glancing at Grady. I didn't think he wanted me in his house

"You sure?" she asked, looking at me with those eyes.

Man, her eyes got me every time. Big and brown, with flecks of gold.

"He's sure." Grady said, pulling her inside and snapping me out of my daydream.

She sent me an apologetic look as Grady closed the door in my face.

Ok, then.

I heard Grady's muffled voice from the other side of the door.

"Keefe? Really?" he asked.

Wow. Grady really hated me.

I would have kept listening, but I felt someone tap on my shoulder.

I spun around to see a very uncomfortable looking Tam standing there. Ugh.

I frowned. Sophie hangs out with him a lot. Maybe she likes _him_. I did see them laughing in that park bench Saturday.

Was I jealous?

 _Maybe._

"Keefe, right? I was hoping to talk to you." Tam said.

"Um, sure. Just a question though, shouldn't you be in school? " I asked, confused.

"Yeah, well there was a small incident. Some of the kids that go to Exillium... _Yikes_. But that isn't important. I saw you here and I remembered that I wanted to ask if..." he trailed off, mumbling something unintelligible.

"What?" I asked.

He took a deep breath.

"Are you and Biana dating?" he asked.

Wait. What? He doesn't like Sophie?

"No. She's like a sister to me, and I'm pretty sure she got over her crush on me a while ago." I responded.

He sighed in relief.

"Thanks, dude. See you 'round." he said.

Huh. _Maybe we could be friends._

He flipped his bangs out of his face.

 _Maybe not._

He waved and walked away. I sighed and sat on the porch. What was taking Sophie so long?

The door opened and she stepped onto the porch, her golden hair gleaming in the sun. She had two plates of Edaline's famous mallowmelt, making her even more beautiful.

"Here ya go." she said, handing me a plate.

I smirked and took it.

SOPHIE POV

"So... We should be getting back." I said, once we'd finished our mallowmelt.

"I guess so." he grumbled.

We stood up and began walking to the school. On the way I tripped and fell on the sidewalk. Not because I was looking at Keefe or anything. Pffft.

"Ouch." I said, dusting myself off.

"Did you have a nice trip?" Keefe asked, his voice shaking with barely contained laughter.

I glared at him from the sidewalk where I was laying.

He smirked.

"That's not even a funny joke." I said.

He laughed.

"It is to me."

I sighed.

"Could you at least help me up? Please?" I whined playfully.

"Well, since you asked nicely...no." Keefe smirked.

I glared at him, and he sighed.

"Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine. The things I do for you, Foster." He said, grabbing my hand.

He grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet. He didn't let go of my hand, and I was fine with that. We walked back to school, talking and laughing.

Keefe had made me feel a lot better.

...

When we reached Foxfire, Biana was pacing around the library, where we met to study.

When she saw us, a look of relief came onto her face.

"Sophie! I am so sorry! Please let me explain!" she said.

"I'll just..go." Keefe said awkwardly, before walking out of the library.

"I am _so_ sorry. Stina... Stina was telling the truth. Our friendship did start with my dad. Once I got to know you though, I really like you. You're one of the best friends I've ever had. I just hope you can forgive me... " Biana explained, staring at the floor.

I walked over to give her a hug.

"Of course I can forgive you. I was only upset because I thought my best friend hated me." I said.

"We're still best friends?" she asked hopefully.

"If you want to be." I said.

"Yes! So, now that we're friends again, are we going to talk about your _obvious_ crush on Keefe?" Biana asked excitedly.

Well, she moved fast.

"I thought _you_ liked Keefe." I mumbled, dreading her answer. I couldn't like Keefe if she did, it would make me a terrible friend.

She giggled. Uh oh.

"Well, I used to like him. Then I saw how he looked at you. At first, it was annoying. _Then_ I met Tam. He's just- _wow_. So, I was thinking... Could you introduce me?" she asked.

She didn't like Keefe. What a relief. **(Hey, that rhymed. I am a true poet.)**

"Of course! You can come over to my house after school." I said. Biana beamed.

"I just had a brilliant idea!" she said suddenly.

"Why am I scared?" I asked.

Biana cackled evilly.

I gulped.

"Tam has a sister, yes?" she asked with a truly terrifying glint in her eyes.

"Yes..." I responded hesitantly.

"We should set her up with Fitz!" she said.

"That's... actually a good idea." I said.

"No need to sound so suprised." she said, jokingly insulted.

"He would be so cute with her!" I squealed.

"Who are you talking about?" came a voice from behind us. A voice I would recognize anywhere.

I turned to see Keefe and Fitz walking into the library.

Biana and I looked at each other.

"Nobody." we said at the exact same moment.

Keefe raised an eyebrow.

"Anyway... You guys want to come over this afternoon?" I asked.

"Aww, Foster, of course I'll come. I know you can't get enough of me!" Keefe said, smirking.

I rolled my eyes.

"I would love to go, Sophie." said Fitz, proper as ever.

"Great!" I said.

The rest of the day passed at a snail's pace.

...

 **One more to go!**

 **I will have my ships get together.**

 **Yay!**


	13. Confessions

**Agh. This Chapter is... Rough. Yeah, it's been a while since I've updated, and this was the last chapter (beside the epilogue). I'm almost done. Yay!**

 **Thank you to , Cress070, May, Anonymous, and Supersparkly for the reviews!**

 **Disclimer: I (sadly) do not own Keefe. Or any of the other characters.**

CHAPTER 13

"So boooooored... Foster, I thought you said this would be fun." Keefe whined, falling onto my bed.

We were all sitting in my room - Biana, Fitz, Keefe, and me.

"Pfft. I made no such promise." I responded, rolling my eyes.

"No, but really. There's got to be something we can do." said Fitz, yawning and standing up from his chair.

I sighed.

"Edaline is making mallowmelt. We could help." I offered.

"Too many cooks spoil the broth." said Keefe.

I rolled my eyes.

"Well, since you apparently have infinite wisdom, what do you suggest?" I asked.

"I... Got nothing." said Keefe.

"Hmm. So much for that. Well, we could go outside." I suggested, getting up and stretching.

"Then what?" asked Keefe.

"Ooh! We could play Base Quest! Let's invite Tam and Linh too!" Biana said exitedly.

"Are they even home?" I asked. I wasn't sure what time they got out of school.

"Yep. They actually got out early today." said Keefe, getting up from my bed.

We all stared at him in silence.

"What?" he asked.

"How do you know that?" Fitz raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, you know, just had a casual talk with Tam... " said Keefe, looking extremely uncomfortable.

Everyone was silent.

"Ok then. Base Quest?" I asked, trying to get everyone back in track.

"Yeah, let's go!" yelled Keefe , shooting me a grateful look.

I would have to talk to him about that later.

...

We found Tam and Linh playing catch in their front yard. Tam saw us first.

"Hey, Sophie! Hi Keefe, Fitz... Biana." said Tam, his grey-blue eyes lingering in Biana.

"Hey, guys. You wanna play Base Quest with us?" I asked.

"Ooh, Tam that sounds fun! Of course!" said Linh, cheerful as ever.

Tam shrugged in agreement.

"Great! I call Foster!" yelled Keefe, grabbing my arm.

Biana winked at me and wiggled her eyebrows.

So that's how she wants to play? Fine. I narrowed my eyes playfully.

"Ooh, Tam and Biana should be on the same team." I said sweetly.

Biana blushed and glared at me. Tam blushed and looked everywhere except Biana. Aww.

I smiled innocently. Well she would be happy about Fitz and Linh. I should point That out to lighten her mood.

"That leaves Fitz and Linh together." I said.

Biana smiled.

Fitz explained the rules of the game to Tam and Linh.

"Got it?" he asked.

Everyone nodded.

"Perfect. In your marks... get set... _GO_!" Biana yelled.

Keefe grabbed my hand and we ran behind my house. I stumbled all the way there. Holding his hand was incredibly distracting.

"You hide the flag, and I'll go tag the others." he said to me, pressing the flag into my hand. He was so close to me, we were sharing a breath.

Keefe seemed to notice as well. His cheeks turned a light shade of pink. Was he... Blushing?

He cleared his throat and looked away.

"I'll just... Go then." he said, getting up and running off.

I sighed and ran to go hide the flag. Looking around, I saw Tam and Biana hiding behind a small tree. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but Biana was beaming and Tam was red faced (but not without a smile himself). Suddenly, Biana leaned forward and kissed Tam on the cheek. Wow. They moved fast.

"Aww." I cooed. Out loud.

Oops.

Tam and Biana turned to face me, both beet red.

Uh oh.

"Hey!" shouted Biana.

"Hi?" I said.

Humor did not work. They both got up, and ran to tag me.

"Shoot." I said, turning and sprinting in the opposite direction. We passed a surprised Linh and an amused Fitz. Great. Now, not only were Tam and Biana chasing me, but also Fitz and Linh. It must have been a strange sight.

Thankfully, I was a pretty fast runner, so Fitz was soon the only one still after me. He was _really_ fast. I lost sight of him the next time I glanced behind me.

 _Wait_ , I thought, _where did he go_?

I was still looking behind me, so I didn't see the tree root until it was too late.

"Gaaaaaah!" I screamed, falling hard.

Fitz was running too fast to stop in time.

"Ow!" he yelped as he tripped over me.

Fitz tumbled on top of me.

"Tag?" he asked, out of breath from running.

"Hah. Only because I tripped." I said, equally breathless.

"Falling for me? How sweet!" he laughed.

"You sound like Keefe!" I giggled.

"Noooooooo!" he joked.

I burst out laughing. He soon was laughing too, and I totally forgot that he was on top of me until I heard a voice.

"Did I miss something?" Keefe asked, standing over us. He was smirking, but his eyes looked strained.

Fitz scrambled to get up, pulling me up too. We were both blushing like crazy.

"Nah, just another Sophie accident." said Fitz.

I glared at him.

Keefe, however, looked relieved.

 _What's up with him?_

"Aww, Foster, you need to accept your clumsiness." he said, smirking at me.

I rolled my eyes.

"So, did we win?" asked Linh, running over to us.

"Yep! I am-" Fitz started. Whatever he was, I would never know. Edaline yelled that mallowmelt was ready, and I got mallowmelt induced tunnel vision.

We all ran to the kitchen, where Edaline was waiting with a plate of mallowmelt.

It was gone before you could say "delicious." **(A/N i don't even know anymore.)**

...

We were sitting on the floor playing cards later, when Biana's phone rang.

"Hello?"

"..."

" Yes, of course. Yeah...Yeah... Ok...See you soon. Bye. "

She hung up and sighed.

"Fitz, that was our mom. She wants us to come home." Biana said.

"Ok. Bye Soph. Thanks for everything." Fitz said.

"Yeah. Anytime." I replied.

"We'll walk you home, if you want." said Tam.

Linh nodded.

"That sounds great." said Biana.

Aww.

Everyone said goodbye and left. That is, everyone except Keefe. My heart beat does up into hummingbird mode.

Keefe looked sheepish.

"Is it okay if I stay here? My dad... I don't feel like facing him right now." he mumbled, obviously embarrassed.

"Want to talk about it?" I asked.

"Not really."

"Okay." I said. He didn't have to tell me if he didn't want to.

I smiled at him.

"Stay as long as you want." I said.

His face brightened.

"Thank you." he said.

I nodded. Was his dad really that bad?

"So, Foster, now what? Should we play another card game, or what" he asked, changing the subject.

"Well, you were going to tell me something earlier. What was it?" I asked.

KEEFE POV

Oh. Oh, yeah. _That_.

How was I supposed to tell her that I liked her.

What if she didn't like me back?

What if she judged me?

What if...

Calm. Down.

She didn't judge me for the whole dad thing.

I can do this.

Okay, here goes...

"Um, well... I likeyoualot." There. That wasn't so bad...

Sophie looked shocked. Her beautiful brown eyes were wide and her mouth was hanging open.

"You like... Me? I'm just Sophie, though. Nothing special." she finally said.

Now it was my turn to stare in shock.

"Nothing special? Sophie, you're brave, and sweet, and beautiful... I could go on forever. Trust me, I like you for all of those reasons and more." I said, putting my hands on her shoulders.

She was blushing dark red. She was so beautiful when she blushed. She was always beautiful though.

"I-I like you too Keefe." she said.

What? _What_!?

She. Liked. _Me?_

I can't even...

She was staring at me, blushing and looking as beautiful as ever. I barely realized that I was leaning in, and that she was too...

SOPHIE POV

Keefe kissed me.

Keefe Sencen. Was kissing. Me.

I could have stayed that way forever. It felt like forever.

Untill...

Someone cleared their throat.

Someone behind us.

Someone named Grady.

Uh oh.

I pulled away. Sadly.

Grady was standing in the doorway looking livid.

I have never seen Keefe blush as hard as he did then.

"Hello, _Keefe_." Grady's words were sharp.

Poor Keefe.

"Hi, Mr. Ruewen." Keefe mumbled, staring at his feet.

The tension in the room was so thick, I could have cut it with scissors.

"Um... Keefe was just saying goodbye. His...uh...His dad needs him to come home. For... Father-Son Bonding." I said.

 _What_? I'm bad under pressure.

"Yep. Gotta go. I was just... Saying goodbye." Keefe mumbled the last part.

"That certainly isn't what I saw." Grady said , raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, Keefe, I'll walk you home!" I said, desperately looking for an escape.

We hurried out of the kitchen.

"We'll talk later." said Grady as I passed.

I gulped.

Keefe and I hurried through the living room.

Once we were out of the house, we turned into the sidewalk that led to his house.

...

Keefe and I took our time on our walk. The sky was blue, the grass was green, the birds were singing, and Keefe was there. I had everything I needed.

...

 **Ugh... I gagged writing that. Yikes, this chapter was rough.**

 **Should I do an epilogue? I probly will, just it might take a while.** **Comment if you want it sooner** **. Or whatever. I won't be needy.**

 **I just wanted to be done** **. Sorry if that was a little rushed.**


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